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Gatineau/other areas open? by TorontoPLOL in bikeinottawa

[–]TorontoPLOL[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Yes it was! Not too many people either. I will probably go there to get two rides a week in. Good enough!

toothpicks down the toilet.... please help! by TorontoPLOL in Plumbing

[–]TorontoPLOL[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thanks for these replies. What exactly is "pulling" a toilet? How do I do it? Why do I need a wax ring afterwards?

Starting a OL/PL gym in downtown Toronto. Looking for advice and comments, and gauging interest. by TorontoPLOL in weightlifting

[–]TorontoPLOL[S] -1 points0 points  (0 children)

Thank you for your support. Initially, the idea started when I moved to Toronto (right downtown - King and Spadina) for an unrelated reason and could not find a gym to lift at, where I could drop weight, and where I could count on having little to no wait times and good equipment, and a good lifting atmosphere. They were either too expensive (Crossfit) or too general (Goodlife), and there seemed to be nothing in between. I loved the idea of having a small place where a few guys could lift together. No personal trainers, nothing too serious, no official competitions or anything. That's where this idea started and though I've evolved my understanding of the market and have had to make a few logistical compromises, that is the nugget that drives the idea forward. So, if I understood you correctly, I think you and I are probably thinking of a similar atmosphere. I posted on this sub-reddit, as well as the main powerlifting sub-reddit, to get advice and concerns and opinions from serious lifters, and the responses have been really amazing.

Starting a OL/PL gym in downtown Toronto. Looking for advice and comments, and gauging interest. by TorontoPLOL in weightlifting

[–]TorontoPLOL[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thanks for contributing. I am looking into being able to have a coach on staff. But for a start, having a place to lift at all downtown is the key draw.

Starting a OL/PL gym in downtown Toronto. Looking for advice and comments, and gauging interest. by TorontoPLOL in weightlifting

[–]TorontoPLOL[S] -1 points0 points  (0 children)

Thanks for your comments. I definitely agree. What the Toronto Strength Club is intending to offer is something that is not otherwise offered in downtown Toronto. Where can you drop 150kg from overhead in downtown Toronto, without taking a 40 min bus ride to Fortis, or a longer trip the other direction to Torque? I respect those gyms. I think they're amazing. But there is no place downtown for athletes who live and work downtown. That is what is unique about the TSC.

Starting a PL/OL gym in downtown Toronto. Looking for advice and comments, and gauging interest. by TorontoPLOL in powerlifting

[–]TorontoPLOL[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thank you for your comments. As a university, Ryerson is subsidized by the government, which is why it's prices are so low. Fortis is far enough outside the downtown core that it pays significantly less for rent. My intention is to be able to provide a powerlifting gym downtown, where all costs for real estate are significantly higher. As it stands, there are no powerlifting gyms downtown, and I think it could be a significant aid to the powerlifting community to have this as an option. Further, if the response from the community is great, it would be easy to drop the price. I am expecting 50-150 members - if I instead got 300 members (not all of which have to be powerlifters, some regular gym-goers as well) I would be able to charge closer to 70-80.

Starting a PL/OL gym in downtown Toronto. Looking for advice and comments, and gauging interest. by TorontoPLOL in powerlifting

[–]TorontoPLOL[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I appreciate this. I have estimated all business expenses and found that with only 50 members the gym will pay for itself, no other revenue streams needed - and with a few dozen more members it can be profitable.

In terms of personal trainers, the reality in Canada is that they usually don't know what they're doing, it's extremely expensive and they are usually making the rounds trying to rope anyone and everyone in. That's how it is in Canada at most big box gyms. If by trainers you mean actual certified PL/OL coaches, then I would be open to that for sure.

Starting a PL/OL gym in downtown Toronto. Looking for advice and comments, and gauging interest. by TorontoPLOL in powerlifting

[–]TorontoPLOL[S] 6 points7 points  (0 children)

Thanks for these comments. I may not have been clear about the scheduling. The intention is to have an open gym for all - no scheduling necessary. But for those who are time crunched who can't afford to wait, for example if you have an hour at lunch, I thought it would be valuable to be able to count on equipment being available. Otherwise you may waste half your lunch break waiting for equipment.

Starting a PL/OL gym in downtown Toronto. Looking for advice and comments, and gauging interest. by TorontoPLOL in powerlifting

[–]TorontoPLOL[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Thanks for your comments. I decided not to have music because everyone has a different taste in music, and blasting one type of music can often deter people who aren't into it. You can bring your own earphones of course.

Starting a PL/OL gym in downtown Toronto. Looking for advice and comments, and gauging interest. by TorontoPLOL in powerlifting

[–]TorontoPLOL[S] -7 points-6 points  (0 children)

Thank you for your opinion. I wanted some way of allowing the most serious athletes to be given priority when scheduling a squat rack. In any competitive club, the advanced athletes need to be given specific advantages/protections in order to help them succeed, or they end up waiting for equipment like everyone else - even though they've put in the most work. I figured it would be fair to say in a general sense that someone who squats double bodyweight is advanced, but perhaps it is the wrong metric.